Eleven Mile Sate Park

We set out in our mini van on Saturday morning feeling excited to hike and camp. We knew we had a bit of a trek ahead of us because our campsite was a mile hike from the parking lot and we did not have overnight hiking packs with us. We pulled into the parking lot and were met with views of the lake and surrounding mountains. We set off to scout out our campsite before hauling our supplies there, following a trail that hugged the side of the lake into the woods. The park was named Eleven Mile for the eleven mile trail that went around the whole lake!

Eventually we decided to setup camp, so we began the multiple trips to and from the car to haul our tent, sleeping bags, food, firewood, water, etc. back to the campsite. This was quite the workout, but it was worth it once we had everything setup!


 Eleven Mile State Park in Colorado deserves its own blog post. This park was one of the first truly breathtaking experience we had during our travels. We learned that reserved camping in Colorado fills up quickly, especially during the summer months. Tyler scoured state park websites for camping reservations for us during our short month in Colorado and he booked us a campsite at this park without knowing too much about the location.

We found our campsite nestled in the tall pines and large boulders just up from the lake - it was a perfect spot. We explored the area for a bit, finding a private cove and amazing views from atop the boulders. We saw a group of friends jumping into the take together, too, which immediately made us scheme on how to bring friends back to this amazing park one day.

After setting up camp we went for a swim in the lake. Bailey's favorite game of all time is fetch in the water, so he had a blast swimming after the sticks and logs. Tyler and I each enjoyed a Coors (the unofficial state beer of Colorado) while cooling off and taking in the beautiful surroundings.

We watched the sunset and Tyler took approximately 1000 photos before deciding it was time to make dinner. The bears and wildlife in Colorado does not mess around, so we had to pack up all our food and bring them to the nearest bear locker. This was the first time I had ever had to use a bear locker!


The next morning we got up to enjoy the morning light on the lake. We made breakfast and packed up the campsite. We had to take multiple trips once again to bring everything back to the car. The walk was so beautiful though we didn't really mind going back and forth. We met another couple who had a dog that had baileys exact same coloring and was the same size! We gushed over the matching pups while they said hello and got to know each other a little better.

Eleven Mile has a special place in our hearts. Not only was it our first time camping while on our grand adventure, but also some of our favorite views of all time. The park also felt like a fairy dreamland, setting our hearts on fire while simultaneously giving us peace and a sense of calm. 








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